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Tatiyana McFadden won a tight race in Chicago to notch her third consecutive marathon win. (Published Sunday, Oct 13, 2013)

Updated at 9:52 AM CDT on Wednesday, Oct 16, 2013

University of Illinois alum Tatyana McFadden won her third consecutive Chicago Marathon Sunday in the women's wheelchair race, making her the first person to win three major marathons in a season.

"It really came down to a sprint," McFadden said. "I didn't even know what was happening. My muscle memory was there and I knew I needed to go. The crowd just took me forward. It was extremely tough."

Meet the Marathon Wheelchair Champion for 2013

Ernst VanDyk of South Africa won the men's wheelchair portion of the 2013 Chicago Marathon in a photo finish. (Published Sunday, Oct 13, 2013)

Earlier this year McFadden won marathons in Boston and London. Chicago makes her the first athlete, either disabled and able-bodied, to win three marathons in a year.

Potentially furthering that record, McFadden plans to tackle the New York Marathon next.

Marathon Heroes: Tatyana McFadden

Tatyana McFadden has won the wheelchair competition in Boston and London. Winning Chicago would be a trifecta. But she's found that goal isn't the only thing that inspires her. (Published Monday, Oct 7, 2013)

McFadden credits her coach and teammates at U of I in Champaign with pushing her to succeed.